Alro'dorei
Lore Origins When the Highborne were cut off from their Kaldorei brethren for their reckless disregard for arcane, they made pilgrimage to the Lands in the East. However, the Highborne were forced to face the terrors of the Maelstrom's destructive storms, resulting in difficulty traversing the ocean. Three massive transport ships fell victim to these rough currents and were shot northbound, breaking far off the path of their peers. The ships had found themselves shipwrecked against the frozen roof of Azeroth on the coastal lines of Northrend. These elves assumed that they did not get lost, however, but that their peers had suffered and perished in the terrible storm. They had crash landed against a land known as Borean Tundra, stranded and without food. The large group of powerful mages began to conjure food and water to survive but unable to stay in one location for long due to the territorial nerubians attempting rip through their ranks for fresh blood and flesh. Several weeks had passed in traversing into the frozen wasteland until they had found themselves as far north as they could manage - the chasing nerubians finally giving up - as they crossed the threshold into Storm Peaks. They had stopped about half-way through the Storm Peaks and without much options of survival left. Dozens had fallen to hypothermia and several others had fallen ill and would not make it much longer. Rather than waste their time and lives trying to build homes in the harsh exposure of the frozen wind - they used their prowess with magic to dig and push themselves into the ground. They created artificial caves and caverns; but they had also discovered Titan built constructs underneath the soil and crust of the earth, inert and powered down after decades of abandonment. They found themselves with a discovery that only few races could hope to find and thus built their homes inside of the mountains - utilizing the titanic structures to fabricate a city and study the long ancient ruins of Titan origin. Rise With the newly established homeland of these once proud Highborne, eventually several teams began excursions out into the frigid and vicious wasteland of Northrend. Their natural capability of stealth and archery served them well, but their trespassing had not gone unnoticed. The elves' presence had ignited a territorial war between the massive vrykul and the lone Highborne. Where the Vrykul had prowess in raw strength, the Highborne shattered them and broke them with the might of their rapidly dwindling arcane magic. As the Vrykul casualties grew and grew, they eventually retreated back south toward the coastlines. Small skirmishes broke out every few days, and these days quickly became weeks and never again as the Vrykul people became secluded and fell into a deep hibernation as ordered by King Ymiron. With this, the elves only had to deal with a few roaming bands of Drakkari Trolls and vicious wildlife. Centuries of absolute seclusion and general xenophobia had begun to change their appearance and hone their knowledge of the Titan Watchers that kept prisoner a creature of immense power. The Alro'dorei eventually revered them as gods and worshiped them - taking examples from their vast abilities and honing a unique mix of magic and martial prowess. The natural addictions still burned in the Elves. Without their precious well or the knowledge and attunement of the Sunwell - they needed to find a new source of power to sate their need. Through knowledge, magic, Titan technology and an immeasurable amount of luck - the Alro'dorei managed to create a font of raw arcane power. Nowhere near as immense as the Sunwell or as powerful as the Well of Eternity, but enough to sate their small society's ever-growing lust for magic. The elves deemed it the Well of Winters. Ancient lore texts describe it as a forever swirling pool of pure crystalline frost. An endless blizzard of icy magicks. Fall The effects of the Third War were minimal, if not negligible to the Alro’dorei. Their location deep within the cavernous region of Storm Peaks left them almost immune to the tyranny and rampant crusade by Prince Arthas. But their long forgotten cousins were not. A small group of elven survivors had fallen wounded and dying against the never-ending tide of undeath, and retreated far, far north-east into a small cavern opening in the side of a mountain. Little to their knowledge, this lead into the outskirts of a small Alro’dorei town - one of many ‘escape tunnels’ in case of a catastrophic event. Both sides were shocked, afraid and generally uneasy - however, the Alro’dorei leadership was quickly notified and diplomacy to begin. These Elven survivors were apart of a strike force lead by this "Prince Kael'thas". Communication between them was shaky but possible as the Snow Elves had kept to Darnassian, seeing it unnecessary to change their language. Seeing as Thalassian and Darnassian are far from tremendously different, the two groups had developed rapport and shared their knowledge. Eventually, the small group had taught the Alro'dorei many things; Thalassian, the knowledge that their race had survived but has been genocided, Quel'thalas and many other things. The now-Sin’dorei were quick to try and recruit their cousins into the fold of war, viewing their position and secrets to be invaluable to the fight against Arthas. Their King, at the time, was sceptical and uneasy to suddenly reunite with the world, viewing such an immediate surge into an almost alien world would cause irreparable damage through culture shock. He gave them an unsure answer and told them to return with a missive from their current crowned Prince for more formal negotiation. This never reached Kael’thas’ ears nor even the Regent-Lord Lor’themar Theron, as the Sin’dorei were quickly and brutally murdered by the growing undead army. Merely a blood-soaked letter left to the brutal winter snow. Without any word from their cousins in the south-east, the Snow Elves remained and continued to thrive until a darkened whispering began to creep through the minds of many. The elves may have lived inside of an abandoned Titan facility and worshipped the Titanic Watchers, but they did not know of the system failures in Ulduar. Yogg-Saron had broken free and slowly began to sweep his corruption across Northrend - starting with his doorstep of Storm Peaks. The Well of Winters, in specific, had caught the unwanted ire of Yogg-Saron, and he aimed to claim it’s raw arcane for his own twisted purposes. Slowly, he began to corrupt and warp the minds of the magus who maintained and mended the Well. And thus the mages began to spread it as well. Like cancer, the warped views of many Alro'dorei started and they began to view their brethren as a threat to their power. A civil war erupted as many elves took up arms against their non-corrupt brothers and sisters. The caverns were filled with blood and gore as swift assassinations and skirmishes broke out in the tightened corners of their civilization. Their King, uncorrupted, ordered an exodus from their underground homeland - seeking to keep the civilians, sick and old alive. After roughly 40% of the populace reached a safe distance, the King returned back down into the caverns to quell the teeming corruption. With their King leading the charge, the uncorrupted Alro’dorei lead a charge directly for the Well of Winters, a decision made far in advance by their reigning Lord. There was no victory in slaughtering his people and no victory in allowing this ‘Old God’ to absorb such a font of power. As the strike force reached the final chamber, he ignited the well’s energy to detonate and sacrificed himself and many others alongside him. The history of the elves had repeated once more and was silenced in one fell swoop. The following blast echoed for miles in all directions - the sheer force and magnitude of the arcane eruption sundered the titan-built tunnels and rough-hewn caverns. And with a finalizing crack of stone and rock, the very foundation of the mountain that stood above buckled and fell into itself. Revitalization Few Alro'dorei managed to survive the following impact with swift foot and magic. Their society that they had spent centuries building had fallen in a matter of seconds. Years of lore, technology and magic had been lost and they were abandoned out in the harsh wilds once more like their ancestors had been. However - they had a home. They had the Quel'dorei cousins of the Alliance. The remaining group of Snow Elves took their society upon their back and moved to the nearest coastline. They traversed through Zul'drak, combating their common enemy, the Drakkari Trolls. With deadly efficiency they swathed a war ath and eventually found their way to Grizzly Hills. Utilizing the vast woodland, they built a small vessel and began to sail south-east, using the minimal knowledge of geography taught by those long-lost survivors. Weeks had passed before they docked into Stormwind Harbor, tired, weak and hungry. They were shy, elusive and ultimately anxious to be judged. But they were not. They looked identical to their Quel'dorei cousins and fit easily into society. The small group got together one last time and agreed to never speak of their ancestry to anybody, being ashamed of it and wishing to avoid questioning. They went their separate ways and began to learn of their new homes and lands. To everybody else they are Quel'dorei. To each other - they are Alro'dorei. Children of the Snow. But a few remained. A handful of loyalists to their kind and their crown Prince had stayed behind at ground zero of the mountain ruin - keen to dig and search for their home, they began to do so. The following years were toilsome but the mages eventually reached the bottom of a once majestic cavern and notified their Prince at once. The Prince requested he be alone for the following and seldom few witnessed what occured next and none but the Prince - now King - knew how. A singular arcane word resonated from the bottom of a cavernous hole in the world and the mountain above rose with a raging rumble of stone and ice. It was not perfect. A shell of its former glory, but their mountain home and their people could be rebuilt - with time. Appearance and Evolution Much like their unknown peers to the east, the Highborne began to evolve and shift. Their lifespans shortening but their wisdom and power expanding. Eventually, the elves' skin turned from a natural purple hue to a ghostly pale white to match the snow that surrounded them. Along with their skin, their hair also took on specific coloration due to years of natural selection, and became either extraordinarily white or light blue. Deviations exist and always will, however. Their muscle density had also took a turn, eventually moving from stereotypically frail elves to much thicker, muscular and even more chubby variants. This muscle and fat layer was developed to, of course, combat the harsh winters and create natural insulation. Through centuries of isolation, this change had occurred and they had also lost their identification as Highborne. Without a true name, the race eventually deemed themselves Alro'dorei, or "Children of the Snow". However, some merely called one another "Snow Elf". Society The Alro'dorei are extremely similar to the Sin’dorei in leadership, holding a reigning King and Queen, but had more Quel’dorei tendencies with matters of diplomacy and decision making with each sect of skill being represented in council underneath the King. Many of the elves felt a strong bond with the nature that surrounded them and strive to live in harmony with the natural world, no longer viewing magic as an ultimatum as they once did so many years ago. Other than - the society in this harsh climate was very close-knitted and friendly to each other, being xenophobic to any outsiders by nature and keeping to themselves. The “Icerunners” is equivalent to Farstriders for the Alro'dorei. They are swift, nimble and experts at snowy terrain, often making bounding strides across large pools of frozen water without so much as a crack in the ice. They were primarily hunters and trappers and often make flawless shots to take down even the largest beast for a bountiful feast. It is the Icerunners that truly kept the Alro’dorei alive throughout the centuries by means of hunt and resources. But don’t let the others hear you say that. The “Frost Knights” are powerful warriors donning the traditional ebony plate and chain. Masters at swordplay, these Knights were the first and only necessary line of defense against any interlopers who dared trespass into their sanctum. Worshipers of Tyr, these elves could easily topple Vrykul with a few precise swings while still standing stalwart after several strikes with their massive weapons. Naturally, their worship slowly and surely began to grant them powers of the Light. Their divine magic glowing bright, icy blue and the capability to reinforce their already impressive power. The “Snow Singers” are the mages, druids and even minor shamans of their society, these spellcasters manipulate and master the art of shifting frost, snow, and winter. They used these practices with deadly efficiency and eye-widening effect. More often than not, however, they were the law-keepers and leaders in many projects throughout society. One of the main duties as a Snow Singer was to maintain the Well of Winters as to not under or overwhelm its gentle balance. The Druids had also managed to once more attune with nature and learned to shapeshift, often taking the forms of polar creatures for obvious reasons. “Storm Dancers” as they call themselves are a relatively ‘new’ addition to Alro’dorei society. Recently unveiled at the behest of their patriarch, they have begun to reveal their secrets. Formerly posing as Snow Singers, these followers of Ra-den are more akin to warriors, channeling the very power of uttering and invoking the Titanic language into miraculous spell-like abilities to supplement their martial skill. Currently, Storm Dancers are only found within the ranks of House Dul’Saer. It is said that they are capable of directing the furious storms of Northrend at their opponents. Hierarchy When the Alro’dorei made landfall upon the shores of Northrend, they believed themselves to be the sole survivors and that none of their now-cousins survived the raging ocean waves. With this, they also believed themselves leaderless. All they knew was a monarchy and did not see a reason to create a new system, especially given the dire circumstances. Traditionally, power struggles broke out as does with Highborne. Many chimed in with their experience in diplomacy, some with their vast wealth (now gone) and few with simply the strength of their arcane magic. Only one of their group fully understood the situation they were in - that power and money would not keep their race alive in this hell-scape - but tact, skill and survival instincts. This elf quickly took the reins of the populace and ushered them north, utilizing speed and stealth to outwit and escape the wildlife and hostile natives. Enemies and Allies Alro’dorei are a naturally xenophobic and even an isolationist society. The harsh winter wonderland that is Northrend is host to innumerable war-like races and some peaceful ones. A society cannot survive without trade and allies, so slowly but surely, the Snow Elves have begun to contact and assist their northern brethren. Or fight against the hostile tide. Allies of the Alro’dorei are open to trade, talk and even support against a hostile force. These relations are slow to build but fiercely loyal. The following races are widely considered allies to the Snow Elves; Earthen, Frostborn, Tuskarr, Furbolgs. Northrend is home to numerous races, and not all of them are welcoming to their neighbors, but not ones to wage a wasteful war. The Alro’dorei often leave these races alone and vice versa. Seldom do they open trade and is often more on a personal level than a societal one. The following races are considered neutral to the Snow Elves; Dragons, Taunka, Gorloc, Wolvar. Enemies of the Alro’dorei are many yet few. More often than not, it’s a waste of resources to simply attack a creature because it’s an undead or similar. Alro’dorei will only attack as a whole when attacked first. Skirmishes are common, however they often end quickly. The following races are considered hostile to the Snow Elves; Vrykul, Trolls, Nerubians, Magnataur, Iron Dwarves, Undead, Demons. Birth At birth, since the creation of the Well of Winters, infants were to be metaphorically dipped into the well to better attune them to it's addiction alleviating magics. This was done by levitating the infant above a redirected font of arcane and ‘bathed’ in raw arcane energy. Maturity Upon reaching maturity, Alro'dorei teenagers are asked to choose between one of the Titanic Watchers and follow their path so that they can better serve their small society. Those elves that could not or even would not choose were not handled drastically but rather just ignored, called “Pathless”. These adolescents often helped the society, but not in ways that were directly helpful to their people as a whole. In some cases, few believed that being “Pathless” was also a “Path” in itself. Marriage Normally, marriages are not arranged like in past times with Highborne. An Alro'dorei male who has fallen for a young female will go out and forge a ring made of pure crystal, a very daunting task and more often than not, assisted by one of the masterful blacksmiths in their society. These rings are then infused with arcane runes, causing an everlasting blizzard to cycle through the transparent rock. These rings are often considered artifacts of powerful magic, but little to no one knows their true identity other than the Snow Elves themselves. Death When a Snow Elf dies, their body is preserved in solid ice and dropped deep into the depths of the mountain they reside in. A colossal catacomb rests underneath the ancient mountain and is protected by very vicious magics. It is near impossible to enter the catacomb physically and is considered sacred grounds to their kind. The social position of the deceased elf is often indicative of their position in the catacomb itself, with royalty often held at the very bottom, in order to better protect their bodies. Money Alro’dorei culture is close-knit and xenophobic at its core. There is little need for silver or gold in terms of trade. This does not mean trade does not happen. More often than not, people will bargain and trade goods for goods. In uncommon cases, people may trade favors for goods. This may include hunting for a rare gemstone or a specific type of titan artifact. Religion Centuries began to pass and their knowledge of the Titan artifacts that surrounded them grew. Eventually, they had become entwined with the constructs that surrounded them and began to worship them for the Gods that they believed them to be. This resulted in many progressive things for the elves; Paths * Hodir - Those who worshiped Hodir had begun to take to the bow and embrace the everlasting winter - combining their skills with the arrow with the sting of the magic they wielded. ' ' * Freya - Those who worshiped Freya had begun to turn to Druidism as their ancestors did so many centuries ago. ' ' * Thorim - Thorim worshippers hone their skill with axe, blade, and spear. While worshippers of Tyr value justice and honor, worshippers of Thorim value strength and cunning. ' ' * Ra-den - The followers of Ra-den stick to mystical arts. Arcane magic, shamanism, and runecraft are their calling. ' ' * Tyr - Those who revered Tyr had taken up plate armor and blade, turning into shieldbearers and guardsmen of society. ' ' * Mimiron - The very few and far who learned from Mimiron turned to mastery of the Titan technology that surrounded them - ultimately becoming architects, masons and even blacksmiths. ' ' Cuisine Shoveltusk flank is considered a delicacy among Alro’dorei and reserved for special occasions. * Given the harsh and vicious climate of Storm Peaks, survival is imperative. The elves do not sacrifice any part of the animal, often using everything down to the bones. * Spices are almost unheard of, only truly found from lost shipments from other civilizations. They are utilized sparingly and almost never used by the commoners. Animal Companions * Wolves are a staple companion in Alro’dorei culture. They are pack hunters, fiercely loyal and experts at tracking. When a wolf is domesticated into the elf culture, it’s trained to fight beside it’s master and when it grows old and weary, it retires into a life as a pet. * Penguins, ironically, are also common house pets. They are plentiful, entertaining for children and cute; when properly handled. Population''' 'Alro’dorei population has always fluctuated at a rapid pace. From landfall to their homes collapsing above them, it has always made or broke their populace. It’s unknown how many there originally were, but only a small city’s worth remains, standing at an estimated 4,000 people in total. ' '''Equipment When the original Highborne had landed in Northrend, their flowy and light robes fit to last in an eternal springtime, were worthless. They quickly adopted heavy furs and leathers, if not for fashion then for survival. When their society had become more established, they began to prepare for possible threats and searched for ore veins untapped by the locale or the titan originators. Due to their knowledge of a “great old one” locked away in Ulduar, they were keen to the corrupted blood Saronite and avoided it at all costs. Those who did not, lost their lives quickly. Instead, they focused on traditional iron, cobalt and titanium veins. Mixed with natural ebony, they began to forge lightweight and flexible suits of plate armor, capable of unrestricted movement and lightweight enough to not break ice beneath their feet. Naming Alro'dorei naming conventions are extremely similar to Highborne and less-than to Quel'dorei due to their isolation. A majority of them have kept old family names and traditions, however, a small number had actually changed their surnames to better reflect their new 'race' and to honor the nature that surrounded them. First names are identical to Highborne, Quel'dorei and Sin'dorei. Surname Examples: Snowfall, Frostbite, Snowsong, Winterfall, etc. Category:Race Category:Culture Category:Northrend Category:Elves Category:Monarchy